I walked out of my apartment to find a handsome guy in an A&M polo and cowboy boots standing outside the passenger side of his truck. He was quite the gentleman and opened my door (side note: he still does this), and we were off to Smoky Rose. As many of you all know, we met online, so our first date was also our first time meeting each other. Yes, I let a stranger pick me up and take me several miles away from my apartment for our first date…sorry mom. All turned out okay, but looking back, it likely wasn’t my wisest decision. Another bold first date decision I made that evening was to order ribs at dinner. I’m pretty sure that’s on the list of “things not to order on your first date,” but oh well. Conversation flowed naturally most of the evening and we kept discovering mutual connections. I wasn’t quite sure what he thought of me after the first date (especially after my rib ordering stunt), but I knew I enjoyed it and was hopeful there would be a second date. However, the next day I left Texas to go to Colorado for two weeks. Who knew if he’d still remember me two weeks later. -E
Arriving at her apartment, I was nervously hopeful that it would go well, but one never knows what a first date might turn into. We made some casual small talk in the car on the way to Smoky Rose and the conversation felt easy and natural. I could already tell she was smart and engaging and my hope began to grow. Throughout dinner we began to unravel the spider web of connections we had through HPUMC, mutual friends, and generally growing up in DFW. There were a few connections that left the two of us bewildered at how close they were to home. I think they provided great comfort knowing the person across the table has been properly vetted by friends and family even before we knew each other existed. The night really turned, for me, when she mentioned she was heading to Colorado and planned to do some fly fishing. To that point, I’d spent my entire life looking for a beautiful woman that also shared an interest in one of my favorite activities. Between our shared interests and the fact that she boldly and confidently ordered ribs on a first date, I was excited to have a shot at dating her. Thankfully she agreed to continue the date and grab some ice cream with me at Baldo’s on Hillcrest, which was not part of the initial plan. I hadn’t appreciated how difficult the next two weeks would be while she was away, wondering if I said the right things and hoping for a second date. -M
I admittedly didn’t have much experience with long term relationships prior to meeting Elizabeth, but dating her was the only experience I needed. As I got to know her, I realized just how much trouble I was in. She was (and still is) incredibly thoughtful, humble, intelligent, kind, and beautiful. With each out of town wedding, in town dinner date, visit to the hot tub at The Caruth, and pit stop at Andy’s, it became abundantly clear that there is nobody on earth with whom I’d rather commit to spending the rest of my life. She very quickly became my whole world and the person I wanted to spend nearly all of my time with, whether that meant a night in assembling patio furniture or dressing up and going out to a nice restaurant. We have had such fun dating, I can only imagine what marriage has in store. -M
My favorite date will always be the Keller’s Hamburgers picnic date at Flagpole Hill. We picked up hamburgers and Martin had so thoughtfully packed all the necessities for a romantic lakeside picnic. The only thing he was missing was bug spray. We were both eaten alive by mosquitos that night, but it holds strong as my favorite date regardless. This was the date we aligned on values and what we wanted for the future. I left the date very confident that Martin just might be the man I marry.
Dating M has been so fun. I don’t sit still very well, so our dates typically involve some sort of activity out and about. We have our fav spots, but like to try new things and take turns planning date nights for each other. -E
As the non-planner in the relationship, this was and might always be the most elaborate plan I have ever set into motion. It began roughly 2 months prior to the annual Estes Park trip. I began to assemble the dream team of proposal planning. Between Ali (the greatest fly fishing guide around), Jeffrey and Anne Sholden, Elizabeth’s parents, and my parents, I knew we had a decent shot at pulling this thing off. The plans were set… fast forward to the day our lives changed forever.
We were delayed in getting to the trailhead for the hike up to Dream Lake to meet the photographer, Amber, who was expertly hidden among the other hikers ready to capture the moment. To make up for lost time Ali seemingly sprints up the mountain, nearly sending me into cardiac arrest. Upon arriving at the lake, I began to get nervous about wading out into the water holding the ring, but I took comfort knowing I wrapped fishing line around it and planned to tie it to my wrist a safety measure. As we got settled into our morning of “fishing” our guide gave me the cue to go grab the ring from my bag by asking me to grab a fly we had used the day prior. I grabbed the ring box and the fishing line around the ring tightly, and waded back out to meet my soon to be fiancé out on the rock in the middle of the lake. I was prepared to surprise her with the most eloquent proposal speech of all time but thankfully she cut me short with a resounding “YES!” and the rest is history. We then met our families at another spot beautiful spot in Rocky Mountain National Park for a celebration, where her brother, Jeffrey, had flown in from Nashville early that morning to surprise her. I am eternally grateful for everyone’s input, effort, and patience in helping me pull off an exciting and memorable proposal. -M
We were on my family’s annual summer trip to Estes Park, Colorado. On one of the last days of the trip, we had planned a family fish and hike day. Our fishing guide (Ali) talked us into joining her at 6am for a quick hike and fish up to Dream Lake before meeting the rest of the family at Sprague Lake later in the day. I was a little alert to the fact that something might be coming, but I thought it’ll be later that afternoon at Sprague. After hiking up to Dream Lake, we waded through pretty cold water and Ali got me all set up on a rock in the middle of the water. I wasn’t seeing any fish, so I started wandering off to another rock to see if I have better luck elsewhere. Very quickly (and subtly) Ali brought me back to the rock I’d been placed on, and decided to change up my fly. M had borrowed one of her flies the other day, so she called out to him to go get the “green caddis” from his bag.
I saw M coming towards me, but I didn’t realize he had more than just a fly box in his hand. Mid cast, I turned around to find M on his knee, opening a small wooden box to reveal a beautiful engagement ring. Before he could even say anything, I had already said yes. Ali videoed the entire thing, and to top off the surprise, the nice person “reading a book” on the shore behind me was actually a photographer. After taking pictures, we hiked back down and met our families at Sprague lake to celebrate. M so perfectly arranged my dream proposal in my favorite place in the world! -E